Leather-washing machine



E. A. DE GRAFF LEATHER WASHING MACHINE Filed June 18. 1923 Oct. 15, 1929.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ct.` 15, 1929. E, A. DE GRAFF` 1,731,564

LEATHER WASHING MACHINEl Filed June 18,4 192:5 .2 sheets-sneer 2 H ucufoz e Ela/ns f. D@ Graff Patented Oct. 15, 1929` UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE ELLIS A. DE GRAFF, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO LEATHER MAKERS PROCESS COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION' OF MICHIGAN LEATHER-WASHING MACHINE Application lled June 18, 1923. Serial No. 646,220.

The invention relates to the manufacture of leather by that type of process in which the leather is aii'iXed to the drying boards by an adhesive material and stripped from the boards when dried. It has been found that the leather when stripped from the boards has a film of dry adhesive over the surface thereof and to remove this film without unduly wetting the leather, I have devised a washing machine of the following construction.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section.

A is a frame having mounted thereon the shafts B and B for the rolls C and C engaging an endless belt D. E and E are rolls for supporting the belt intermediate the rolls C and C, and F and Fl are rotary brushes arranged above the belt and opposite the rolls E and E. His a water header extending across the machine and having connected thereto a series of obliquely inclined jet nozzles I for directing the jets upon the belt adjacent to V.the brush F.

The brushes and the belt D are driven by suitable drive connections which as shown comprise belts and pulleys. In practice, as shown in the drawings, the belt D will be driven at a much slower speed than the brushes F and F, this being conveniently accomplished by providing pulleys of differ ent diameters on the shafts of the belt and brushes.

In operation, the leather to be cleansed is fed upon they belt D, which first advances it beneath the water jets I and then beneath the rotary brush F. This will scour o the film of dried adhesive and the action is completed by passing under the second brush F The leather is then delivered by the belt D and d the small amount of water which still adhering to the surface is only sufficient to slightly soften the leather without materially moistening the same. Thus by a single pass of the skin through the machine the surface is fully cleansed. n

ELLIS A.. DE GRAFF. 

